Washington (H24N). Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. George W. Bush unveiled his plan Friday designed to curb teen-age drug use.

Bush, describing children as "the destiny of our country," finds illegal drug use to be one of the major dangers facing the nation’s children while growing up. "[Drugs] are the enemies of innocence, and ambition and hope."

Bush, if elected president, promises to make attacking drug use in youngsters a priority and reassures parents that he will clearly make the government an "ally" with them in this battle.

Bush also cited what he called catastrophic drug statistics from a Clinton administration that "ceased" to make teen-age drug abuse "a national priority" and cut funding to anti-drug programs.

Bush says the battle must first and foremost be fought by parents, but also enumerates a list of seven measures or "goals" his administration would vow to reach. The $2.6 billion plan outlines both international and domestic steps that Bush says would drastically reduce the escalating teen-age drug problem:

• "Fill the leadership deficit."
  • Bush said he would take an active leadership role in the anti-drug campaign "from day one" and appoint strong "anti-drug leaders throughout his administration."
• Teach children to stay away from the lure of drugs.
  • Saying parents are an integral factor in keeping children off drugs, Bush would dedicate $25 million over five years to create an anti-drug Parent Corp.
  • Allot $100 million over five years to ensure schools are drug-free
  • Dedicate $350 million over five years to the Drug-Free Communities Law, thereby increasing the size and scope of the anti-drug program to communities where it is not currently in place.
  • Allocate $25 million over five years to expand the Boston Gun Project to other cities.
  • Assign $25 million over five years to organizations that promote a drug-free workplace
• Increase support for "effective treatment."
  • Double the funding of the National Institute on Drug Abuse from FY1998 levels to $1.07 billion by 2003
  • Decrease the treatment gap by allocating $1 billion over five years to "effective" treatment centers, including "faith-based and community-based organizations" that "can demonstrate the same effectiveness" as treatment facilities.
  • Spend an additional $250 million over five years on teen treatment centers.
  • In addition to spending $50 million over five years on drug courts, stress drug-free prisons, mandate drug testing for all parolees and probationers.
• Assisting foreign countries in stopping drug activities, especially the export of illicit drugs to America o Give $1 billion dollars over five years to increase interdiction efforts
  • Double the funding to Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador to $150 million for coca crop substitution. He gives $15 million to Southwest Asia over five years for the same purpose.
• Increasing U.S. anti-drug technology
  • Dedicate $50 million to the U.S. forces fighting drugs.
  • Reverse a $200 million cut to Administration for the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center
• Securing U.S. borders from drug smugglers
  • Give $250 million over five years to "reimburse border counties for prosecuting federal drug referrals."
  • Overhaul the Immigration and Naturalization Service, appoint new directors and force federal prosecutors to prosecute major drug offenders in federal courts.
• Strengthening interagency work
  • Distribute $100 million over five years to the Drug Enforcement Agency in an attempt to target methamphetamine labs.
  • Build a partnership "between the Office of National Drug Control Policy, state drug control offices, and High Intensity Drug Traffic Areas"

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